Over 20% of adult Americans suffer from symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome or IBS.
And the stress and anxiety that can result only worsen the frequency and severity of symptoms – a kind of vicious cycle.
If the stress and anxiety associated with the onset of IBS could be managed, would it be possible to control the symptoms of IBS as well?
A recent study was reported in the journal of Behavior Research and Therapy and performed by Gerhard Andersson, PhD and colleagues at the Department of Clinical Neuroscience at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden.
It examined the effect of mindfulness based cognitive behavioral therapy on individuals who suffered from IBS.
Eighty five patients with IBS were randomly assigned to two groups. The treatment group received weekly instruction in mindfulness and its application to symptoms of IBS.
The treatment was primarily a text-based, self-help manual delivered via the internet in 10 weekly chunks.
Those randomly assigned to the control group were kept on the waiting list to receive treatment after the study was completed. Meanwhile, the control group was offered an on-line discussion forum about IBS, but without any CBT or mindfulness training.
An analysis of pre and post IBS related symptoms found that participants who received mindfulness training showed a 42% decrease in the frequency and severity of primary IBS symptoms. (Notably reduced symptoms were overall pain, bloating, and flatulence.)
Participants in the control group reported no significant improvement on any symptoms.
I really liked this study, both for its research design and also because their method of treatment delivery might be practical for large scale adoption by hospitals, HMO’s and other programs.
Could mindfulness training provide a stand-alone treatment? Would mindfulness ever significantly augment pharmacological treatments?
It looks promising.
But this is just one study – more research is required to fully examine the efficacy of mindfulness as a treatment for IBS.
To learn more about how mindfulness is being used in clinical settings, check out our mindfulness programs where we bring together health and mental health practitioners from all over the world.
Meanwhile, please leave a comment and tell us about how you are using mindfulness in your work.
An intriguing discussion may be worth comment. I do think that you should write regarding this topic, may possibly not often be a taboo subject but usually people are there are not enough to dicuss on such topics. To a higher. Cheers
Outstanding post! It is very well put together and very didactic. thank you much for your contribution!
I used a free self-help program i found on line and it took some practice, but it worked. The key for me was learning about the effects of adrenalin, and understanding that anxiety symptoms are caused by adrenalin, and that no matter how severe the symptoms might be, there is no actual risk. Fast heart beat, shallow breathing, light headedness, nausea, feeling shaky, and feeling woozy are normal responses to adrenalin. Most of my anxiety was caused by worrying about the effects of anxiety – a viscous circle, but one that was easy to break once i got the whole picture. . . Here’s the link:
What an interesting study! It validates our experience that body-mind approaches such as EFT or acupressure tapping can significantly reduce IBS pain and symptoms- both physical and emotional. Is EFT a form of mindfulness? In as much as any type of energy therapy involves a certain amount of consciousness, yes. Certainly any method that calms the amygdala will reduce stress and anxiety and related symptoms.
Hi Ruth,
Thank you so much for this interesting article. It adds much to what has been my experience of working with poeple with IBS (and related conditions such as chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia) from a mindfulness perspective. I have found that some poeple can make great changes in their conditions when dealt with from this holistic perspective and when honouring the wisdom of the body.
Thanks for sharing,
Namaste,
David
Interesting. I have some friends and family who would find this article helpful as thier doctors haven’t mentioned alternative treatment, only medication.
Do you have a link for this study or the Felicia Huppert using mindfulness with teenage boys study? I haven’t been able to track them down online.
Thanks, G
The positive impact of self-regulating practices and therapies (e.g., mindfulness practice, hypnosis, imagery-based therapies) on IBS has been well established for some time. Thank you for highlighting its important role as a front line treatment for this condition. I hope it leads to wider use by more readers of your blog to bring the positive benefits of these practices to a wider group of patients.
dsa